Stable Sino-UK Relations to Be Forged ���� -- People's Daily Residential Reporter in the United Kingdom ���� Maple leaves are now in all its brilliance of red, President Jiang Zemin, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, is going to start a state visit to the United Kingdom on October 18-22. This is a visit ever made by a Chinese state leader to the UK, a visit to which great importance has been attached by the British government and all public figures in the UK. ���� The UK is a Western country that first officially recognized China. In June 1954, China and the UK reached an agreement to mutually dispatch charge d'affaires. In 1972, they formally established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. In 1984, China published with UK a joint communique on the Hong Kong problem and this had brought the relations of the two countries onto a new stage. From the latter part of the 80s to the early 90s, exchanges were conducted at a high level. Chinese leaders have gone on several visits to the UK. Visits were also made by UK's Queen and two prime ministers to China. ���� After the Labor Party went into power in May 1997, it positively stood for developing extensive constructive relations with China. Especially after the successful return of Hong Kong to China on June 30, 1997, there had begun to turn over a new page in the Sino-UK relations. In the last two years or so, mutual visits have been exchanged at a high level. Exchanges and cooperation in the areas of trade, education, culture, physic culture, science and technology, military and justice have been continuously expanded and developed in depth. Sino-UK relations come to be channeled into a normal and speedily developed course. In April 1998, when Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji went to take part in the 2nd Asia-Europe conference in London he also made a visit in the UK. During his meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair Zhu pointed out that since the Hong Kong problem has been solved there have remained no obstacles to prevent China from developing cross-century stable and all-round cooperative relations with the UK. In October 1998, Prime Minister Blair visited China and important results were achieved. In their joint communique issued, they proposed to develop an all-round partner relationship, deciding to set up China-UK Forum. ���� The British government declared the year 1998 as "China Year" in the UK. Prime minister Blair made a visit to China in the year, in addition to visits by other five cabinet members and members from the royal family of Great Britain. Since 1998, Chinese leaders have also gone on several visits to the UK. They include Jiang Chunyun, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee; Qian Qichen, vice premier of the State Council; Li Tieying, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Ding Guangen, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary to Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. ���� The UK is the 2nd largest trade partner of China in Europe. Since reform and opening up of China in 1979, a speedy development has been made in bilateral trade relations between the two countries. Bilateral trade volume had grown from US$764 million to US$5 billion in 1980 and US$6.584 billion in 1998. This year, bilateral trade volume is still on the increase. From January to August, the bilateral trade volume already amounted to US$4.763 billion, up 16.9% over the same period of last year. ���� The past year has seen a fast growth of UK's investment in China. Up to July 1999, there were already 2443 investment projects launched by the UK in China, with an agreed amount of US15.8 billion of investment contracted and an actual amount of US$7.2 billion used to lead other European investors in China. From a regional point of view, UK's investments were concentrated chiefly in the coastal areas and some large heartland cities in China. Meanwhile, UK's investments involve many trades and productive enterprises with a high technological content in the main, and such enterprises as of metallurgy, light industry, electronics, textile, clothing, food processing and marine engineering. ���� China and the UK are two countries of great international importance, as standing members of the UN Security Council. There leaves great potential in developing cooperation by the two countries in international affairs. In 1998 and 1999, when a move was made at the UN Human Rights Committee against China, a proposal was made by many countries including the UK to stand for constructive talks replacing confrontation. This has played a positive role in inducing the European Union to give up its anti-China motion. Last year, when Britain rotated as chairman of the European Union, it proposed to set up a dialogue relationship between China and the European Union and this has promoted the speedy development of Sino-EU relations. Meanwhile, considerable cooperation space is presented between China and the UK on a number of global problems in connection with prevention of nuclear proliferation, arms control, drug ban, cracking down on terrorism and anti-smuggling. ���� After the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, Britain has fully affirmed the successful implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems" by China in Hong Kong. In July this year, when Lee Teng-hui spread his "state-to-state" fallacy the UK reiterated its "one China" attitude and had even for the first time openly clarified at the UN General Assembly in September its stand against "Taiwan joining the UN". Meanwhile, the UK takes a positive attitude on the problem of China's access to the WTO. ���� Owing to the fact that China and Great Britain share extensive common interest, developing cross-century stable and all-round cooperative relations between the two countries will benefit the peoples of the two countries and contribute to safeguarding world peace and stability. For the Chinese government attaches great importance to developing a long-term stable friendly relationship with the UK and enhanced cooperation with China is desired by the UK it can be forecast that there will arise a time of forging enhanced Sino-UK ties following President Jiang Zemin's visit to the UK. Indepth 1999-10-18 Page6 Full Story in Chinese